Chapter 24
A young lady was mixing a batch of something in the kitchen. She was trying to be productive and get her mind off of her recent loss. Her husband dialed the phone from the living room. "This is Rob Williams calling. Would it be possible to speak to Abbot Francis?"
"This is he, Rob. How can I help you?"
"Doctor Johnson-Angelo gave me your name and number. He said you might be willing to meet with me."
"More than willing, Rob. When can you make it?"
"Well, I work days but can come any evening or weekend that's convenient for you, Abbot."
"I sense a lot of pain in your voice, Rob. Why don't you come over today?"
"That would be wonderful. I didn't want to ask. I can be over to your place any time you like."
How about early this afternoon, say about twelve-thirty?"
"Sounds good to me. See you then."
The community gathered for Midday Prayer which is the briefest of the Offices, taking about ten or twelve minutes. They dress informally for this celebration of the Liturgy since it is often sung in the fields or the laundry or the bakery, wherever monastics are working in larger monasteries. Midday Prayer is a little oasis of prayer in the day which can seem a bit annoying to a busy person but in reality is refreshing and can help to anchor one in prayer life so that the monastic does not drift too far afield from what his or her life is all about. At the end of the Office everyone bowed to the presence of the sacred as manifested in the front of the oratory by cross, altar, bible, and tabernacle, and then filed out.
The rest of the community looked like it was on its way to a beach party. They had relaxing clothes on and a cooler with some sandwiches and beverages in it and some books to read. It was their day for the state park.
"God be with each of you," said the Abbot. "I'll keep the home fires burning on this late summer day. Have a wonderful time and come back whenever you feel like it. Don't feel obliged to any time constraints. I know some of you will enjoy being off and being quiet and others of you might like to chat--whatever will be fun for you. Just enjoy."
"You have a good time too," some of the members shouted back as they hopped in the car.
"A good time working?" Brother Benedict hollered out. The gang laughed and drove off. Francis walked back to the Hermitage. He was on edge and more than a little startled to find someone sitting in his waiting room.
"Oh, you must be Rob."
"Yes, I am, Abbot, I'm sorry I'm a little early."
"That's all right; I'm just taken off guard a little bit. If you wait just a minute, I'll be right with you."
Francis walked through the waiting room and into his office where he checked his answering machine, finding that the message light was flashing. He heard Chantal's voice when he played the message.
"Give me a call when you can, Francis. I have a tape I'd like you to listen to. It could help us solve things." Francis scribbled Chantal's name on a pad of paper by the phone and erased the message.
"Please come in now, Rob," Francis said as he opened the door, “and let's see what we can do." The young man stood up awkwardly and entered the office. "Please have a seat on the couch," said the Abbot, "and I'll sit here across from you. How do you like the couch and chair? They're a matching set."
"They look fine to me," Rob said with a little confusion in his voice.
"Well, they look even more than fine to me," said the Abbot. "You see they're my favorite brand--'early yard sale.' The other couch I had was pretty difficult to get out of once you got into it. In fact I needed the Jaws of Life for a few people, so I looked around and one day was able to find this bargain on somebody's lawn. Well, enough about me and my furniture. I'd like to take a little clinical history if I may."
"That's fine by me, Abbot.@
AGood. I don't usually write during sessions but the first time through I do some writing just to get some general background and that kind of focuses me so that I am better able to do what I can to help. I have your name, address, and phone number, etc. from Dr. Johnson-Angelo. He also told me something about the situation. I'm so very sorry about the death of your daughter."
"Thank you, Abbot. I appreciate that."
"Now then, can you tell me a little something about your medical history?"
"Not much to tell there; I don't even wear glasses."
"So, Rob, you eat okay and sleep okay and don't take any medication?"
"That's right, Abbot, and I'm happy to report it."
"Good to hear it. How about your psychological background? Have you had any psychotherapy in the past?"
"My wife and I went to a marriage therapist for a few sessions. She seems to think that I'm a little too angry but I guess I blew it by getting angry at the marriage therapist."
"That can happen, Rob, but if you stay with it you can sometimes work through the negative transference, as we call it, and be freed of whatever is going on. It's all part of the therapeutic process. We better keep our focus on you for the present and maybe we can get back to what's going on in the marriage at another time"
"Fine by me."
"How about any clinical hypnosis or self-hypnosis training?"
"Well, Abbot, one time in high school, I went to this place where there was a stage hypnotist and he had people up on the stage doing all kinds of crazy things--dancing around and running from imaginary animals, and being very amorous, etc."
"Rob, that's something which is completely unethical for someone with my background. The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis does not allow its members to use clinical hypnosis for entertainment purposes, or even for demonstrations unless it's to train other colleagues. But again, we don't want to go off on tangents, so tell me about your education."
"Well, Abbot, I completed high school and then got an associate degree in electronics and have been using that in my work for the past few years. I work on an assembly line, usually making radios, but sometimes televisions and other electronic gadgets. We have to move fast and I can usually keep up, but right now I'm too depressed and unfocused to do a good job. That's part of what got me to Doctor Johnson-Angelo's office."
"Okay, Thanks. Now, tell me if you were raised by both parents and then tell me a little about your home situation?"
"Yes, Doctor, I mean Abbot; it gets confusing in a situation like this."
"I understand, Rob, it happens all the time."
"Well, Abbot, I was raised by both of my parents and have a younger sister and a younger brother. Our home life was pretty ordinary, I guess. My father hated religion and my mother loved it. She was always at church and he was always trying to put up with it."
"Any history of abuse from either side of the fence, Rob, you know physical, emotional, sexual?"
"Nothing I would call abuse, Abbot."
"How about abusing alcohol or drugs, yourself or anybody in the family?"
"No drugs or alcohol. If I may add to my earlier response to your question about being abused or abusing, the closest I've come to abuse in my childhood was when I went through a period of torturing animals--throwing rocks at cats and birds and punching dogs. Strange things like that, but I grew out of it."
"That's good, Rob."
As the history unfolded, Francis became more and more disturbed, not only on a cognitive level, but also on an intuitive level, in his spirit. He wanted to get to the heart of the matter right away, and he knew in this case Therapeutic Touch might be the most efficient way to do that.
"Well, I know you were probably expecting a good deal of talking today, but I see that you're pretty down and I think a healing technique called Therapeutic Touch might be the quickest way to get you back on the road to good health again.
"That's fine by me, Abbot, I have seen a few articles in the newspaper about it and I'm open to whatever will help."
"Good news. You can just sit over there on that little bench and relax, okay?"
"Sure enough."
"Being on the bench exposes your back as well as the rest of you to my hands a little more easily than if you're sitting in a chair or lying down. I'll put on a little soothing music on the tape recorder. How about something oriental sounding?"
"You are the doctor, Abbot."